Unsurprisingly, no such deal ever took place, but the interest remains as the Chilean continues to impress for Serie A’s runaway leaders Juventus.

Valued by transfermarkt at €44m, Vidal has contributed by scoring 11 goals, as well as adding a further five assists in just 22 Serie A starts. He has been an attacking threat all season, making 42 key passes and registering a total of 52 shots – the second highest in Juve’s squad.

It is those sorts of staggering statistics to which has reportedly attracted the interest of La Liga giants Real Madrid. Speaking to Spanish press Marca, Vidal said of the rumours:

“I’m flattered by the interest of Real Madrid.”

“Everything is going well, I want to continue like this for the rest of the season.”

Spanish paper Marca go on to say that Juventus’ idol is one of the best players in Europe right now, and that Real Madrid’s interest will of course catch his attentions.

As a result of Manchester United’s current Premier League struggles and the likelihood of not offering Champions League football next season, it is plausible to suggest that the opportunity to sign Arturo Vidal has since passed by.

The Red Devils are in dire need of a new box-to-box creative midfielder, and there aren’t that many better out there than the Chilean international, making his recent comments about Real Madrid that much harder to digest.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and first-team coach Carlo Ancelotti will know that Los Blancos lack competition for Luka Modric and Xabi Alonso, and players such as Ilkay Gundogan, Javi Martinez and Yaya Toure have all done the rounds in recent weeks.

Arturo Vidal’s comments however will have already reached the Real Madrid camp, and it won’t be surprising to hear of any huge money offers heading to Juventus this summer.

Tom Thorogood

I'm a 27 year old language teacher and writer based out in Mexico with a passion for football and swimming. I like to focus on the top European Leagues, especially La Liga, as well as the footballing development in Central and South America. My favourite teams include Derby County, Barcelona and Jagaures de Chiapas.